William Lauder

William Lauder is a pioneer in the sport of boxing for Medicine Hat and area.

William Lauder was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1882.

He left home at the age of 12 to join the Navy and after spending 5 years as a sailor, he became interested in the sport of boxing. He entered a tournament, with no formal training, and ended up winning the entirety of the tournament. This fueled the beginning of William’s love of the sport.

Wanting to pursue a career in professional boxing, William immigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1906 with his brother, Robert, first landing in Winnipeg and then moving to Calgary. That same year, he defeated the standing Canadian champion Vernon Austin, becoming Canada’s Lightweight Champion. William quickly dominated the Lightweight Division and held this reign from 1906-1912.

A notable highlight occurred in 1910 when he fought Abe Attel for the Featherweight Championship of the world. William ended up being defeated by a knock-out in the 17th round.

In 1911, William settled down in Medicine Hat and started a poster company – Lauder’s Billboards. He began constructing a house on First Street and Division Avenue, which is now referred to as - the Lauder Residence. William lived in the home with his wife, Elizabeth, and children Margaret, Vera, and William Jr. The home is valued as an early example of residential development in Medicine Hat north of the South Saskatchewan River.

William retired from professional boxing in 1914. Shortly after, he enlisted in the 82nd Battalion as a private in the First World War and sailed from Halifax to Liverpool in May 1916, on the SS Empress of Britain.

While training, and throughout his military service, William continued to box. He would serve as a boxing instructor at the Canadian Army Training School at Box Hill, Surrey. Although retired, William fought exhibition bouts, as well as ranked bouts while at France’s Le Harre camp, becoming the lightweight champion in the camp. In 1919, William returned home to Medicine Hat and continued with his poster business, which he operated until 1939.

William continued to support boxing in the Medicine Hat area. He was associated with every major boxing club - either training or officiating amateur or professional bouts and he became known as the “Father of Boxing” within Medicine Hat and area.

In a letter provided by former student, Evult (Ev) Nieman (fellow inductee on the Sport Wall of Fame), William was described as “extremely dedicated to the sport he loved, and touched the lives of so many young people.”

He would train anyone that displayed an interest in the sport; often supplying equipment and a training facility at no cost. Ev noted that William “instilled in his pupils a belief in themselves and a measure of self-worth through competition and accomplishment in one of the most physically and mentally demanding of sports.”

He coached young athletes and would eventually turn over training duties to his students, to ensure the sport of boxing would remain strong in Medicine Hat. His contribution to the sport of boxing was vast! Giving countless hours of training and officiating, supplying and maintaining equipment, and ensuring training space was available. He saw potential in his students and gave freely of his time to others.